The present invention relates to floor buffing machines and methods, and more particularly to a unique, high speed floor buffing machine utilizing a specially designed casing and buffing pad and an aerodynamically designed pad holder to reduce motor load and control dust and debris.
A search of the prior art failed to uncover any prior art references which disclose the high speed buffing machine or method of the present invention. The following patents were uncovered which disclose buffing machines or similar rotary equipment of varying design and complexity: U.S. Pat. Nos. 548,201; 3,417,420; 3,619,954; 3,974,598; 4,148,110; 4,358,868; and 4,365,377.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 548,201; 3,417,420; and 3,619,954 disclose a sweeping brush, buffing pad and sanding disc, respectively, having a generally X-shaped configuration. However, because of the material or design, none of those buffing pad devices are suitable for high speed floor buffing.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,974,598 and 4,148,110 each disclose rotary scraping or sanding tools having air foil blades mounted on the rotary discs for expelling dust and debris from a workpiece. Those devices are also not suitable for buffing, particularly for floor buffing, because they are too small and are suitable only for scraping or sanding.
Conventional floor buffing equipment utilizes flat, circular buffing pads, which, when powered by an electric motor, revolve at speeds usually between about 175 and 1000 RPM, although some operate at speeds as high at 2000 RPM. For a standard electric motor to operate a conventional buffing pad at the high range of rotational speed, only a slight pressure can be exerted upon the floor by the pad without straining the motor or causing the motor to draw excessive current.
In order to obtain a superior finish on a waxed floor when dry buffing, i.e., buffing a previously waxed floor without adding new wax, it is necessary to generate enough friction and heat to actually melt the top layer of wax on the floor. The amount of friction and the resulting heat generated is proportional to the rotary speed at which the buffing pad operates and the pressure the pad exerts on the floor.
However, the load and resulting power draw of an electric buffing machine motor depends, not only on the combination of the speed at which the pad rotates and the pressure exerted on the floor by the pad, but also on the area of contact between the buffing pad and the floor, i.e., the size of the buffing pad. Since the power draw of a conventional electric buffing machine motor is limited to what can reasonably be supplied from a 110-volt wall outlet, there is a finite limit to the size or area of a buffing pad that can generate sufficient friction and heat to actually melt the top layer of wax. With state-of-the-art electric motors, only a small area pad of conventional, i.e., circular, design can achieve a superior finish. Since a small area pad would result in a prohibitively long time to buff a large floor, conventional electric floor buffing machines are not designed to operate at speeds and pressures high enough to achieve a superior finish on waxed floors. In essence, quality of finish is generally sacrificed for speed.
A further problem with the conventional circular buffing pads is that they generate a significant amount of air currents and loose debris. Unfortunately, the air currents are not well directed and usually blow the loose debris away from the buffing machine to generally inaccessible areas, such as underneath shelving and tables where it is difficult to collect.